Disaster at Cuckmere Haven

I can't let the new year's blog get any further without getting our worst disaster off my chest.
Following on from a quiet gentle evening in Cuckmere Haven with Summer, Kia and children:

we invited Nick and Trish along for a meal on board.

It was to be the beginning of a romantic weekend for them, taking their VW camper for a wedding anniversary trip.

We were anchored in the usual spot, and were ready to collect them from the beach in the inflatable.

Unfortunately they couldn’t get there till early evening, but when we heard their shouts, John jumped into the inflatable dinghy, using the outboard engine this time, and puttered off.

Nick lost his phone almost immediately he arrived on the boat- he had set his jacket down on the spray hood, and when I picked it up to suggest it wasn’t the best place to leave it, the phone slithered out of the pocket and into the sea before anyone could catch it.

Never mind, he was due an upgrade.

Food was consumed and wine was drunk, and Trish began to go quieter than usual, she was getting a bit cold, and I lent her my oilies.

By this time it was dark, and a bit of a swell had commenced, and Nick wasn’t feeling too good either. 

John offered to take them back to shore, which they happily accepted.

It wasn’t easy for them to climb down into the dinghy in a swell, (Trish still wearing the oilies) and Nick sat in the bow. John aimed to drop them on the western bit of the shore, but in the dark couldn’t identify where the river split the beach until too close, when he tried to change course, the waves hit the dinghy broadside and it went over.

Trish was out of depth and weighed down by the water inside the oversized oilies, The bag containing shoes was lost, and the dinghy was upside down. Nick and John righted it and as we always take the oars John was soon rowing back to the boat.

Our nearly drowned friends stumbled barefoot back to their van,  John got back on board terribly cold and shocked.

It wasn’t until much later the next day that we heard how they were; we had spent an anxiety-filled day not knowing, but thank goodness the van keys were in a pocket and not lost and they were able to get warm and continued with their unforgettable Anniversary Road Trip.

(We have since wined and dined them properly on land, and we are still friends!)